Blueberry plant named &#39;Altair&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Blueberry cultivar is provided that is the product of a controlled breeding program followed by selection. The cultivar flowers and forms fruit that ripens over a wide early-to-mid season. The attractive light blue berries exhibit a pleasant sweet flavor and are readily amenable to harvest. Such berries also exhibit a good post-harvest shelf life. The plant is self-fertile, and displays a generally rounded growth habit with attractive evergreen foliage. A low chilling requirement is also exhibited.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Vaccinium corymbosum L./Blueberry Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Altair

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Blueberry cultivar of the present invention was the product of controlled artificial pollination carried out in a greenhouse at Greenwood, Fla., U.S.A., wherein two parents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute the desired characteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the unreleased ‘FL 90-4’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the unreleased ‘FL 96-32’ cultivar. The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows:

‘FL 90-4’×‘FL 96-32’.

The seeds resulting from the pollination were shipped to Almonte, Huelva, Spain, where they sown during approximately 2000, small plants were obtained which were physically and biologically different from each other and selective research of the progeny was carried out. Selective study during the spring of 2003 resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar. The new plant initially was designated S03-38-04.

It was found that the new Blueberry plant of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) flowers and forms fruit that ripens over a wide early-to-mid         season,     -   (b) displays a generally rounded growth habit with attractive         evergreen foliage,     -   (c) is self-fertile,     -   (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and     -   (e) forms in abundance attractive light blue substantially round         and firm berries that exhibit a pleasant sweet flavor which         commonly are readily amenable to harvest and display a good         post-harvest shelf life.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be grown to advantage for the commercial production of blueberries. The substantially round berry shape is well suited for mechanized picking.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be distinguished from its ancestors and all other Blueberry cultivars known to its originators. When compared to the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States), the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar is more susceptible to Leaf Rust. When compared to the ‘Santa Fe’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,788), the ‘Santa Fe’ cultivar displays a substantially longer chill requirement of approximately 600 hours. When compared to the ‘Star’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,675), the ‘Star’ cultivar commonly displays a more upright and taller growth habit and is less resistant to Botrytis.

The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by the rooting of softwood cuttings beginning during the summer of 2003 at Almonte, Huelva, Spain. Such asexual propagation has shown that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are stably transmitted from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new cultivar asexually reproduces in a true to type manner.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Altair’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this character, typical plants and plant parts of the new cultivar. The plants which had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings were approximately four years of age, and were being grown outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a typical fruiting plant of the new cultivar while flowering.

FIG. 2 shows the upper (adaxial) surfaces of typical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the under (abaxial) surfaces of typical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 4 shows a close view of typical berries of the new cultivar in various stages of development as well as the foliage of the new cultivar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein is the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. Ordinary color terms are to be accorded their customary dictionary significance. The description is based on the observation of approximately four-year-old plants of the new cultivar which had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings while growing outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth habit.—generally rounded.         -   Height.—approximately 1.4 m at 5 years of age.         -   Width.—approximately 3.7 m at 4 years of age.         -   Foliage retention.—evergreen.         -   Chill requirement.—less than 300 hours. -   Foliage:     -   -   Shape.—narrowly elliptic.         -   Length.—commonly approximately 58 mm on average.         -   Width.—commonly approximately 24 mm on average.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Base.—acute.         -   Margin.—crenate.         -   Texture.—glabrous and non-glandular.         -   Color.—Green Group 137A on the upper (adaxial) surface, and             Yellow-Green Group 148C on the under (abaxial) surface. -   Flowers:     -   -   Time.—medium early, at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, with first             flower commonly at approximately December 15^(th), and 50             percent bloom at approximately February 10^(th).         -   Number.—commonly approximately 7 flowers per bud on average.         -   Petals.—5 in number and fused into a corolla tube.         -   Fertility.—self-fertile.         -   Fragrance.—none. -   Fruit:     -   -   Time.—commonly from approximately March 20th to May 30^(th)             at Almonte, Huelva, Spain (i.e., approximately 10 weeks).         -   Shape.—substantially round (as illustrated) and firm.         -   Height.—commonly approximately 17 mm on average.         -   Width.—commonly approximately 19 mm on average.         -   Weight.—approximately 2.75 g/berry on average when plants             were 4 years of age.         -   Fruit scar.—approximately 1.4 mm in size and dry.         -   Seed number.—commonly approximately 25 per berry on average.         -   Seed size.—commonly approximately 1.2 mm in length on             average, and approximately 0.8 mm in width on average.         -   Immature color.—commonly near Green Group 130D with bloom,             and Yellow-Green Group 145B without bloom.         -   Mature color.—light blue, Violet-Blue Group 97B with bloom,             and Black Group 202A without bloom.         -   Productivity.—abundant, approximately 3.35 Kg/plant on             average when plants are 4 years of age.         -   Flavor.—displays a good sweet flavor. -   Development:     -   -   Ability to store.—the fruit stores well, seven days             following harvest when the fruit is stored at 20° C.             approximately 96 percent of the berries are good, and seven             days following harvest when the fruit is stored at 8° C.             approximately 100 percent of the berries are good.         -   Disease tolerance.—no special sensitivity to common             Blueberry diseases has been encountered during observations             to date at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, and has been shown to be             less susceptible to Leaf Rust (Pucciniastrum vaccinii) than             the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar, and more resistant to Botrytis             than the ‘Star’ cultivar.         -   Insects.—is susceptible to aphids and thrips.         -   Cultural conditions.—does well in well drained soils and             evergreen growing conditions in a low-chilling area with the             use of tunnels in an evergreen management system being             recommended.

Plants of the ‘Altair’ cultivar have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date, Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions without variance in the genotype. 

1. A new and distinct Blueberry plant that possesses the following combination of characteristics: (a) flowers and forms fruit that ripens over a wide early-to-mid season, (b) displays a generally rounded growth habit with attractive evergreen foliage, (c) is self-fertile, (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and (e) forms in abundance attractive light blue substantially round and firm berries that exhibit a pleasant sweet flavor which commonly are readily amenable to harvest and display a good post-harvest shelf life; substantially as herein shown and described. 